• BASKETBALL

• Frank Rotich 1 month ago

Nairobi City Thunder get BAL 2026 dates and venues

Kenya basketball champions Nairobi City Thunder have learned when and where they will play in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL), as they prepare for their second appearance on Africa’s biggest club stage.

The BAL organisers have confirmed that the 2026 season will start on Friday, March 27, in Pretoria, South Africa, and end with the Finals on Sunday, May 31, in Kigali, Rwanda. The games will be played in three host cities – Pretoria, Rabat in Morocco, and Kigali.

Nairobi City Thunder will be among 12 top clubs from across Africa competing in the sixth season of the league. A total of 42 games will be played during the season.

Unlike previous seasons, the teams will now be divided into two conferences of six teams each. Every team will face the other five teams in its conference once during the group stage.

The Kalahari Conference group matches will be played from March 27 to April 5 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria. The Sahara Conference games will then take place from April 24 to May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco.

After the group stages, the top eight teams from both conferences will qualify for the Playoffs and Finals, which will be held in Kigali from May 22 to May 31.

Under head coach Bradley Ibs, Nairobi City Thunder will be looking to improve on their debut BAL campaign in 2025. They made history last year as the first Kenyan team to compete in the league but failed to get past the group stage, managing one win.

Thunder earned their place in the 2026 BAL after a dominant run in the Road to BAL qualifiers. They thrashed Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique 109-70 in the Elite 16 semifinals at Kasarani Indoor Arena before beating Johannesburg Giants in the final to retain the East Division title.

Now returning to the continental stage, Nairobi City Thunder will be hoping to make a stronger impact and raise the Kenyan flag higher against Africa’s best basketball clubs.

The 2025 BAL season attracted fans in over 200 countries and continues to grow in popularity, giving African players and teams a chance to shine on the global stage.